EDMONTON, Alberta — Four Canadian service members were killed and 39 people injured, including 19 critically, when a fast-moving fire swept through an outdoor military training exercise in Alberta, overtaking soldiers as they practiced combat attacks with live ammunition, officials said Sunday.
Maj. Gen. Wade Rutland, commander of the 1st Canadian Division, said military officials knew about the fire for hours but believed it was contained before winds suddenly shifted, sending flames racing toward the soldiers.
“The fire was a kilometer away when the wind shifted. That is not normal for a fire to move a kilometer in 36 seconds,” he said at a news conference in Edmonton.
Rutland said a commander at the scene told him soldiers went from seeing no fire to having flames upon them in less than a minute.
The fire broke out Saturday during high-intensity combat training involving Charlie Company of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. About 84 soldiers were in the company, which was split between a grenade range and an area where soldiers practiced attacks on simulated enemy positions. The fire swept into the area where the simulated attacks were taking place.
Rutland said the cause remained under investigation. He said the battalion was preparing for rapid deployment to global crises and a mission to reinforce Canadian troops in Latvia next spring.
The military identified those killed as Sgt. Morgan Wong of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment and Pvts. Shaun Farrell, Aidan Goulding and Hayden Lykkemark of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. All four were serving with the battalion, based in Edmonton.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said 39 people were receiving medical care. Sayeh Zielke, chief executive of Acute Care Alberta, said 19 were in critical condition, eight were stable and 12 were ambulatory and receiving treatment for less serious injuries.
Smith said some suffered severe burns and could face weeks or months of intensive treatment.
Prime Minister Mark Carney described the incident as one of the worst peacetime tragedies for Canada’s military on domestic soil. He ordered flags lowered to half-staff on federal buildings nationwide.
Carney said the families of those killed had been notified. Those affected included regular forces personnel, reservists and soldiers from bases across Canada.
Hospitals respond to mass casualties
Alberta health officials said patients were transferred from Wainwright to four hospitals — the University of Alberta Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary and Red Deer Regional Hospital.
Alberta officials said they had lifted the “Code Orange” emergency activated at several hospitals Saturday night to mobilize staff and beds for the casualties.
The response involved 22 ground ambulances, six airplanes and two helicopters, with assistance from neighboring Saskatchewan. Smith said all patients had been accounted for and no further patients were awaiting transport.
Wainwright Mayor Bruce Pugh said the town’s small hospital was not designed to handle a mass-casualty incident but praised local medical personnel.
Rutland confirmed that military search-and-rescue technicians parachuted into Wainwright to reinforce the emergency response. Pugh said their red parachutes were illuminated by flares as they descended shortly before midnight.
Cathy Keane, a mayoral candidate in Ontario, said her eldest son was among those critically injured. “As a mother, right now I need to be with my son and family,” she wrote on Facebook, saying she was traveling to Alberta.
Military investigates fire
Rutland said the fire ignited in the military training area, where multiple exercises were underway, and spread rapidly in unusually strong winds.
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He said winds had been within normal operating limits for much of Saturday, generally below 31 mph, before intensifying rapidly. Range controllers rely on weather reports to determine whether training can safely continue, he said.
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The fire crossed established firebreaks before being contained with help from municipal firefighters.
The Canadian military said there were no indications of terrorism.
Rutland said military investigators would examine the circumstances, including whether safety protocols needed to change. “If our protocols need to change, then they’ll be updated,” he said.
The military typically convenes a formal board of inquiry after such incidents, Rutland said, cautioning that determining what happened would take time.
Defense Minister David McGuinty called the incident one of the hardest days the Canadian Armed Forces had faced in peacetime.
Rutland said Charlie Company had been withdrawn from the training area and the rest of the battalion suspended training Sunday. He said the unit remained scheduled to deploy to Latvia next spring.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said officers were called shortly after 4 p.m. Saturday following reports of a fire in the base’s training area.
Large areas of Alberta were hit by a windstorm Saturday, with gusts up to 62 mph. The winds toppled trees, sent signs flying and pushed flames beyond the base into surrounding rural areas.
By late Saturday, the Municipal District of Wainwright said the fire was being held and that property and critical infrastructure were protected. No evacuation order was issued for residents.
CFB Wainwright is one of Canada’s busiest military training bases, where soldiers prepare for combat operations. It is home to the Canadian Maneuver Training Center and the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre.
The fire also disrupted advance voting ahead of Monday’s referendum on whether Alberta should begin a process that could lead to independence from Canada. Elections Alberta said the Wainwright Communiplex advance polling location closed early Saturday and election materials were transported securely.
